*Ian Galvin returns to the Clare team. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
BRIAN LOHAN has made six changes to the Clare senior hurling team for Sunday’s Munster SHC final round robin tie with Waterford.
Captain Tony Kelly, John Conlon, Paul Flanagan, Diarmuid Ryan, Jason McCarthy and Robin Mounsey bow out of the starting fifteen with David Reidy, Aaron Fitzgerald, Cian Nolan, Jack Browne, Shane Golden and Ian Galvin entering the fray in their respective places.
After missing out on last weekend’s draw with Limerick due to suspension, Ian Galvin slots back into the side at corner forward. The Clonlara attacker is expected to line out beside Peter Duggan in the full-forward line, the 2018 All Star is included in the line-up to clock up extra game time, as is Shane O’Donnell.
A first championship start for the senior hurlers awaits Aaron Fitzgerald. He is to wear the number six jersey, which he previously wore in the county colours for Colm Collins’ footballers prior to joining the hurling set-up following the 2020 campaign. The Ennis man appeared in a brief cameo as a temporary substitute last weekend and was involved in an infraction which led to Gearoid Hegarty picking up a second yellow card on sixty four minutes.
Cian Nolan is set to make his championship debut. He has impressed at club level for Smith O’Briens in recent seasons and last year captained the club alongside David Gough to be crowned Clare IHC champions. He will be the first man from Killaloe to feature at championship level for the county seniors since Martin McKeogh lined out at full-forward on the Banner side which lost the Munster final to Cork 0-13 0-11 in 1978.
In March, David Reidy underwent surgery to repair a knee injury, his recovery has been ahead of schedule with Lohan previously saying the All-Ireland U21 winner would miss the provincial campaign. The Éire Óg clubman is named at centre forward.
Although named in the starting fifteen for the Limerick tie, Jack Browne saw no action. The Ballyea man is due to start once again in what will be his first time appearing from the off since 2020. The secondary school teacher had been a regular fixture in the team for the Allianz National Hurling League.
Similarly, Shane Golden was listed to start in Clare’s opening outing of the championship when they brushed aside Tipperary in Thurles. Now the Sixmilebridge man is once again included in the starting fifteen, he replaces Jason McCarthy at midfield.
As expected, the duo of Tony Kelly and John Conlon are rested, corner back Paul Flanagan is understood to have been carrying a minor knock during the Limerick encounter, Diarmuid Ryan is also rested having recovered from a back injury in time for the championship with Robin Mounsey likely to see game-time from the bench, McCarthy is not included in the matchday twenty six.
Sunday’s game throws in at 4pm in Cusack Park.
Clare:
1: Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
2: Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones)
3: Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
4: Cian Nolan (Smith O’Briens)
5: Jack Browne (Ballyea)
6: Aaron Fitzgerald (Éire Óg)
7: David McInerney (Tulla)
8: David Fitzgerald (Inagh/Kilnamona)
9: Shane Golden (Sixmilebridge)
10: Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
11: David Reidy (Éire Óg)
12: Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg)
13: Ian Galvin (Clonlara)
14: Peter Duggan (Clooney/Quin)
15: Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin)
16: Eamonn Foudy (Inagh/Kilnamona)
17: Aidan Moriarty (Clonlara)
18: Cian Galvin (Clarecastle)
19: Shane Meehan (Banner)
20: Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones)
21: Adam Hogan (Feakle)
22: Keith Smyth (Killanena)
23: Paddy Donnellan (Broadford)
24: Páidí Fitzpatrick (Sixmilebridge)
25: Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones)
26: Robin Mounsey (Ruan)
